IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


/>.<?5^ 


1.0 


1.1 


11.25 


Itt  lii  a  22 

£  Hi  ^" 

:  us  IM 


1.4 


1.6 


^4 


f^ 


^j>- 


(? 


/ 


FhotograiM] 

Sdaices 

CraporatiQn 


as  WMT  MAM  r.Mi 

vmMTM.N':.  USM 


4^ 


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f 


S 


CIHM/ICMK 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVl/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


CaiMdian  liwtitut*  for  Htotorical  Microraproductiom  /  Inttitut  Canadian  da  microraproductiont  historiquaa 


\ 


©1984 


Tachnieal  and  Bibliographic  Notas/Notaa  tachniquaa  «t  bibiiographiquas 


T*-a  instituta  haa  attamptacP  to  obtain  th«  boat 
original  cot«y  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturt^a  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographieally  unlqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction.  or  which  may  aignificanthf  changa 
the  usual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  balow. 


n 


D 


n 


D 


n 


Colourad  covars/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


I     I   Covars  damaged/ 


Couvartura  andommagte 

Covars  rssforad  and/or  Caminatad/ 
Couvartura  raatauria  at/ou  paliicul4a 


I      I    Covar  titia  miasing/ 


L«  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


I     j   Colourad  mapa/ 


Cartas  gAographiquas  an  coulaur 


□   Colourad  ink  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 

□   Colourad  platas  and/or  lltustrationa/ 
Planchaa  at/ou  illustrationa  1%  coulaur 

□    BoMnd  with  othar  matarial/ 
Rali*  a*'ac  d'autraa  documanta 


Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

Lareliura  sarrte  paut  cauaar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
distortion  la  long  da  la  marga  IntAriaura 

Blank  laavas  addad  during  rastoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  possibla.  thasa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  sa  paut  qua  cartainas  pagas  blanchaa  ajoutAas 
lors  d'una  raatauration  apparaissant  dana  la  taxta. 
mais,  lorsqua  cala  Atait  poasibla.  caa  pagas  n'ont 
pas  At4  filmias. 

Additional  commants:/ 
Commantairas  supplAmantairas: 


L'Instltut  a  microfilm*  lo  maillaur  axamplaira 
qu'il  lui  a  At*  poasibla  da  sa  procurar.  Las  ditails 
da  cat  axampkiira  qui  sont  paut-*tra  uniquaa  du 
point  da  vua  Mbliographlqua,  qui  pauvant  modifiar 
una  imaga  raproduita,  ou  qui  pauvant  axigar  una 
modification  dans  la  m*thoda  normala  da  filmaga 
aont  indiquia  ci-dass(  us. 


n 

D 
D 

a 

D 
D 
D 

n 


Colourad  pagas/ 
Pagaa  da  coulaur 

Pagaa  damagad/ 
Pagaa  andommag*as 

Pagas  rastorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Pagaa  rastaurias  at/ou  pailiculAas 

Pagaa  discoloured,  stainad  or  foxad/ 
Pagas  dAcoiorAas,  tachattos  ou  piquAas 

Pagaa  datachad/ 
Pagas  dAtachias 

Showthrough/ 
Transparanca 

Quality  of  print  variaa/ 
Quallt*  inigala  da  I'lmprastion 

Includas  supplamantary  material/ 
Comprand  du  matdrial  auppMmantaIra 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  MMon  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  pertially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  !iave  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Lea  isagea  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obacurcias  par  un  feuillet  d'errata.  una  palure, 
etc..  ont  At*  fllmAes  A  nouveau  da  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  poaalMa. 


1 

a 
1 


b 

rl 
r( 
n 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  eat  filmA  au  taux  dc  rAduetton  indk|uA  ei-deasoua. 


10X 

14X 

1BX 

22X 

»x 

aox 

7 

3 

12X 


ItX 


»X 


a«x 


38X 


Th«  copy  filmed  h«r«  has  b««n  raproducod  thank* 
to  tha  ganarosity  off: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'axamplaira  filmA  fut  raprodttit  grAca  A  la 
gAnAroaitA  da: 

BibliothAqua  nationala  du  Canada 


Tha  imagas  appearing  hara  are  the  beat  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
off  the  original  copy  and  in  icaeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  eopiaa  in  printed  paper  covera  are  ffilmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  cr  illuatratad  imprea- 
aion.  or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
f  irat  page  with  a  printed  or  illuatratad  imprea- 
aion,  and  ending  on  the  iaat  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  lest  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
ahail  contain  the  symbol  — ^-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  aymbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  appllea. 


Las  imagea  suivantea  ont  At*  reproduites  avac  la 
piua  grand  aoin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nettet6  de  I'axemplaire  ffiimA,  et  en 
confformitA  evec  lea  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmage. 

Lea  exempiairea  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  eat  imprlmte  aont  ffilmte  en  commen^ant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  solt  par  la 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  emprelnte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  aoit  par  la  second 
plat,  aelon  le  caa.  Toua  las  autrea  exempiairea 
originaux  aont  ffilmts  en  commen^ant  par  la 
pramlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  emprelnte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darnlAre  pege  qui  comporte  une  telle 
emprelnte. 

bn  dea  symboles  suivants  apparattra  sur  la 
darnlAre  image  de  cheque  microffiche,  a«>]on  la 
caa:  le  aymbole  — ►  aigniffie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
aymbola  ▼  aigniffie  "FIN". 


Mapa,  plataa,  charta,  etc.,  mey  be  ffilmed  at 
diffferent  reduction  retioa.  Thoae  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  In  one  expoaure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  Mpper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  end  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framea  as 
required.  The  ffollowing  diagrama  illustrate  the 
method: 


Lea  cartea,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
fiimAa  A  dea  taux  de  reduction  difffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atra 
reprodult  en  un  aaul  cllchA,  il  eat  ffilr>A  A  partir 
de  I'angle  aupArieur  yaucha,  de  geuche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  baa,  an  prenant  le  nombre 
d'image*  nAceaaaira.  Lea  diagrammea  auivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

/^ 


fltf  fknunirti 


INTO  TRB 


AUTHENTICITY  OP  DOCUMENTS  CONCERNING  A  DISCOVERT 

IN  NORTH  AMERICA  CLAIMED  TO  HAVE  BEEN 

MADE  BY  VERRAZZANO. 


READ   BEFORE  THE 


NEW- YORK   HISTORICAL   SOCIETY, 


TUESDAY,  OCTOBER  4th,  1864. 


By    BUCKINGHAM    SMITH. 


NEW- YORK : 
PRINTED    BY    JOHN   F.    TROW. 

H  DCCO  LXIV. 


p^-  i 


^'jW^ 


■y- 


.  ■mmmmmfiSmfmumm^- 


■  t}?^mm. 


I  ' 


1 


^n  intuntryi 


AUXnENTIOITY  OK  DOCUMEXTS  CONCERNING  A  DISCOVEKY 

IN  NOnTII  AMERICA  CLAIMED  TO  HAVE  BEEN 

MADE  nV  VERRAZZANO. 


nSAD   UBPORE  THE 


NEW-YORK    HISTORICAL    BOCIETY, 


TITESDAY,  OCTOBER  4tii,  18(U. 


Rv    RUCK  INGHAM    SMITH, 


/Z^T^ 


NEW- YORK : 
PRINTED    BY    JOHN    F.    TROW. 

M  nt'fC  LXIV. 


•i    I! 

If- 


s   •■ 


Kniorcd  aoonnllng  ti>  Act  of  C'ongrosa,  In  (lie  year  1964,  by 

GKOUOK  II.  Miv-;.E, 

in  the  Clvrka  Olllco  i<t  tliu  DUIrlot  Cciiirt  of  thr  t'iiU<'<l  Statu!)  for  llio  Southern  Distrlut  of 

Now  York. 


Tm 


ONK    IIUNDRKD   AND   TWENTY    (KIPIK.(|   PRINTED 


I  I 


i 


/ 


U  y It^L^  e/'i-<>X^^  rJ^KHtyr 


TO 


II  E  X  R  Y    C.    M  U  R  P  II  Y 


"*■':/% 


aV    LONCI-ISLANI), 
T  II  I  a      C  H  I  T  I  U  IT  K 

IS      U  K  H  P  K  (■  T  K  r  I.  L  V      D  E  U  I  C  A  T  E  II 

/ 
DY    IIIH    rKIENI),  / 

HL'CKIXGIFAM  SMITH. 


/ 


f 

I 


% 


AN    INQUIRY,   ETC  <» 


The  earliest  discovery  of  the  Frencli  in  America  is 
attributed  to  Giovanni  Verrazzano.  Ho  is  reported  to 
hav(!  made  more  than  one  voyage  to  the  northern  conti- 
nent. Ap  an  officer  in  the  privateer  service  of  Francis 
First,  or  corsair,  as  the  Sjianiards  aver,  under  tlie  no7n  de 
guerre  of  Juan  Florentin,  he  gained  great  celebrity.  He 
was  the  first  who  appeared  on  the  seas  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Canaries,  since  the  conquest  of  those  islands, 
to  depredate  upon  Spanish  shipjjing,  seizing  in  1522  upon 
seven  vessel  loads  of  colonists,  with  their  goods  and  stores, 
from  Cadiz  ;  but  being  forced  to  release  them  by  some 
armed  bargos  sent  out  from  tlie  harbor  of  Luz,  which  en- 
countered him  at  the  Cape  of  Gando,  he  fled  northward.f 
In  the  year  1523  he  captured  two  vessels  coming  from  the 
Azores,  on  their  passage  from  Mexico  to  Spain,  in  charge 


•  Keliitiono  di  Giovnnni  da  Verrnrzano  Fiorcntiuo,  della  term  i>or  lui  hcopcrtii 
iKiiiio  di  Sim  Miicsta,  Hcritia  in  Dicppii,  iidi  8.  Luglio.    M.D.XXIIII.    (Navi- 

ct  Viiigjfi  da  (jiovauiii-Ballistn  Kamiitiio.     HI. vol.   Ibl.  Vciictia.    To- 

,  M.U.LV 


mo  111 

Tilt 
Carolina  to  Newlbtindland,  a 


VI.J 
The  vojiijro  ot  John  de  Vcrazznno,  along  the  coa.«t  of  North  America,  from 


l.'>24. 


Translated  from  the  original  Italiiin 
bv  JoKcph  O.  CojrKwell,  Ksq.,  Member  of  tho  N.  Y.  Historical  Society,  &c. 
(Collections  of  the  Now  York  Historical  Society.  Second  scries.  Vol.1.  New 
York.     1841.) 

Lcttura  di  Fernando  Carli  a  sno  padre.  (Archivo  Storico  Itnliano  ossia  rao- 
colta  di  opero  o  dociimunti  llnoru  inediti  o  divcnuti  rarissimi  risgiiarJanti  la 
•toria  d'ltalia.  Appendicc.  Toino  IX.  Firenzc.  ('  i^iutro  Vieusseiix,  dirct- 
tore-cditoro  al  suo  Uabinotto  Scientiflco-Litterario.     ?    .3.) 

t  VieraNoticiasde  la  Historia  General  da  las  Islasd  '^anuria.  1773.  Tomo 
II.  *  xli.    He  wrote  on  the  authority  of  early  and  origin  il  papers. 


^ 


l,-*J 


of  Alonzo  do  Avila,  which  were  in  i)art  freighted  with  the 
second  gift  of  Cortez  and  Ins  followers  sent  to  Cliarles 
Fifth.  It  was  tho  richest  of  everything  to  be  found  in 
New  Spain,  writes  the  conquistador  Bernal  Diaz  del  Cas- 
tillo ;  it  consisted  of  tho  armor  and  jewels  of  Moctozmna, 
Qua"hteni6c,  and  of  the  great  lords  of  tht  country.  These 
prizes  ennhled  tho  captor  to  make  presents  of  interest  and 
extraordinary  value  to  the  king  and  nobility  of  France, 
and  in  the  same  year  to  return  to  sea  with  a  well-appointed 
licet. 

The  introduction  to  the  knowledge  of  the  public,  of  a 
discovery  in  America  made  by  Vernizziuio,  was  given  in 
the  form  of  a  letter  purporting  to  come  from  his  hand, 
dated  at  Diej)pe,  the  8tli  day  of  July  of  the  year  1524. 
It  was  directed  to  the  king  of  France,  who  was  at  that 
time  with  an  army  on  the  way  to  Provence,  to  the  people 
of  which  department  he  had  written  from  Amboise,  near 
Tours,  on  the  22d  day  of  Jtmo,  that  he  was  steadily  ad- 
vancing to  their  relief.  A  fe^r  months  later,  Louise,  the 
mother  of  Francis,  was  invested  by  him  with  the  regency 
on  his  way  to  Italy  :  and  Philippe  de  Chabot  in  the  next 
year  was  appointed  Grand  Admiral  of  France,  a  position 
ho  continued  to  fill  thenceforth  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  The  publication  of  Verrazzano's  letter  was 
made  for  the  first  time  in  1556,  at  Venice,  in  the  third 
volume  of  Ramusio,  a  year  before  the  decease  of  that  well- 
known  collector  of  historical  narrative.  Francis  I.  had 
then  been  dead  nine  years,  Chabot,  the  Minister  of  Marine, 
fourteen  years,  and  the  ambitious  Louise  still  longer. 

In  the  reign  of  this  chivalric  prince,  a  period  of  more 
than  thirty-two  years,  in  which  literature  and  science 
riourished,  the  arts  of  peace  as  well  as  of  war  were  encour- 
aged, and  all  that  appertained  to  glory  was  cherished,  ihe 
founding  of  colonies  was  attempted,  and  one  was  success- 
fully established  in  Canada  ;  yet  no  annal,  or  document 
of  any  sort  of  that  time,  hm  ever  been  adduced  in  proof  of 


-  f 


M 

■  f;      I 


the  discovcrj  claimed  to  have  been  made  by  this  ancient 
letter.  In  the  same  age,  from  the  year  1523  to  ±534,  an 
illnstrious  Florentine,  Julius  of  Medicis,  held  the  papal 
throne  ;  and  though  leagued  with  France,  and  an  enricher 
of  the  library  of  the  Vatican,^amonghi8  many  letters  (those 
to  the  king  and  Charles  Fifth,  written  in  the  year  1527 
still  existing  also),  he  left  no  allusion  to  that  event. 

In  a  species  of  book  tradition  coming  to  our  times 
through  Tiraboschi  and  the  Biographie  Vniverselle,  the 
memory  of  a  paper  by  Verrazzano  has  been  perpetuated, 
to  bo  found  in  th'T  Strozzi  library  of  Florence.  An 
American,  who  examined  it  some  live  and  twenty  years 
Q./  since  in  the  Migliabechia  collection,  to  which  it  had  been 
transferred,  states  the  character  of  the  writing  to  be  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  that  with  it  is  a  letter  of  Fernando 
Carli,  dated  at  Lyons,  directed  to  his  father  at  Florence, 
and  also  in  the  volume  other  miscellaneous  matter  in  the 
same  hand.*  Hence  it  appears  that  this  letter  to  the 
king  of  France  is  not  the  original  manuscript,  that  it  is 
written  in  the  Italian  language,  and  bears  the  signature 
Janus  Verrazzancs.  In  substance  it  is  nearly  the  same 
as  the  transcript,  Rigned  Giouanni  Verrazzano,  for  such 
that  published  long  before  by  Ramusio  is  supposed  to 
be,  who  says  in  reference  to  it,  that  he  had  not  been  able 
to  procure  anything  more  on  the  subject. 

Some  of  those  differences  will  prove  instructive,  unless 
we  shall  ado])t  the  authority  of  Alcedo  in  his  Bihlioteca 
Americana,  who  states  that  the  letter  was  origiually  writ- 
ten in  French,  which  will  account  for  the  marked  differ- 
ences of  style  and  language  of  the  two  translations  into 
Italian.  No  such  inference,  however,  is  borne  out  from 
anything  to  be  found  in  the  letter  of  Carli.  Upon  the 
strong  features  in  the  account,  as  they  appear  in  both  ver- 
sions, and  in  view  of  the  circumstances  of  the  time  at 


»g' 


*  North  Atiiericiiii  Kcviuw,  for  Oclobur,  1S37  ;  .l/^V/t  — "  The  Life  iiml  Voy- 
es  of  Vori-uzznno." 


t 


Br  i 


i  ! 


1-> 


f     .!  ■ 


■  i  , 


Vr 


y. 


which  it  purports  to  have  beeu  written,  we  may  judge,  in 
the  light  of  our  later  experience,  of  its  probable  authen- 
ticity and  truth. 

The  letter  of  Verrazzano  begins  by  his  informing  the 
king  that  he  had  not  written  to  him  respecting  the  storm 
encountered  on  the  northern  coast,  with  the  four  ships  sent 
out  by  his  order  to  discover  new  lands,  which  had  com- 
pelled him  to  put  into  Brittany  in  distress,  with  only  the 
Normanda  and  Dalfina,  and  having  refitted  these  vessels 
there,  he  had  taken  them,  well  armed,  on  a  cruise  along  the 
coast  of  Spain  ;  of  all  which  his  Majesty  must  have  heard, 
he  continues,  as  well  as  of  his  later  plan  of  proceeding  to 
accomplish  the  purpose  of  the  voyage  with  a  single  vessel- 
According  to  the  recital,  the  Dalfina  took  her  depar- 
ture on  the  17th  day  of  January,  of  the  year  1524,  from  the 
islet,  deserto  scopulo  propinquo  alia  isola,  southeast  of 
Madeira,  with  fifty  men,  having  arms  and  subsistence  for 
eight   months.      Sailing  to  the  westward,  with  a  light 
breeze,  at  the  end  of  twenty-five  days,  having  run  eight 
himdred  leagues,  she  rode  out  a  hurricane,  throUj^h  the 
Divine   assistance   and  the   good   fortune   of   her  name 
(dauphincss),  as  violent   as  good   ship   ever   weathered. 
Pursuing  a  course  now  a  little  northwardly  of  west,  about 
the  7th  of  March  Verrazzano  made  a  land,  as  he  declares, 
never  before  seen.      It  appeared  to  be   very  low  ;   and 
drawing  nigh,  to  within  a  quarter  of  a  league  of  the  shore, 
fires  were  seen  to  rise  there,  whence  it  was  known  to  be 
inhabited.     He  followed  the  coast,  stretching  to  the  south, 
in  search  of  a  port  where  he  might  survey  the  country  ; 
but  finding  no  such  place  that  afforded  a  secure  harbor, 
at  the  end  of  fifty  leagues  the  course  of  the  vessel  was 
turned  in  the  opposite  direction.     Drawing  in  with  the 
shore,  a  boat  was  sent  to  land,  which  the  natives  came 
out  to  meet,  and  then  fled  away  ;  but  being  reassured, 
they  returned,  offering  food  to  the  strangers  and  pointing 
out  a  safe  place  for  the  boat.     There  is  nothing  unusual, 


,.■■ 


9 


save  as  to  their  color,  in  the  account  given  of  the  natives. 
In  this  instance  the  hair  is  described  as  black,  not  very 
long,  and  tied  back  upon  the  head  in  the  form  of  a  little 
tail. 

The  coast  is  described  as  of  fine  sand,  rising  about 
fifteen  feet  into  hills  with  a  circumference  of  fifty  paces. 
A  little  way  back  were  several  arms  of  the  sea,  where  the 
water  rose  through  islets,  washing  the  banks  on  both  sides. 
Just  over  the  sandy  shore  appeared  beautiful  plains  and 
forests  of  immense  trees,  in  some  places  open,  in  others 
dense,  having  a  variety  of  colored  foliage.  There  were 
palms,  laurels,  cypresses,  and  other  trees  unknown  in  Eu- 
rope, which,  for  the  want  of  opportunity,  were  not  examin- 
ed. This  was  in  latitude  34°  north  of  the  equator,  the 
land  first  seen  twenty-eight  miles  above  Cape  Fear.  Here 
were  deer,  hareu,  and  other  animals,  and  o  great  variety  of 
the  feathered  tribes  ;  the  air  was  pure  and  salubrious, 
free  from  extremes  of  temperature.  Lakes  and  por.ds  of 
running  water  abounded.  The  sky  was  clear  ;  little  rain 
fell ;  and  if  at  any  time  fogs  or  mists  were  driven  in  by 
the  south  wind,  they  were  soon  dissipated  and  the  earth 
made  bright  again. 

Continuing  along  the  shore  to  the  west,  as  the  vessel 
advanced  the  inhabitants  kindled  many  fires.  At  one 
place,  fresh  water  having  been  sent  for,  a  young  sailor 
sv/am  from  the  boat  toward  the  shore  with  some  presents, 
and  half  drowned  by  the  surf  was  rescued  by  the  na- 
tives. He  reported  that  they  were  black,  with  shiny 
skins,  like  those  which  had  been  seen  before. 

Still  following  the  coast,  which  stretched  to  the  north, 
at  the  end  of  fifty  leagues  the  voyagers  came  to  a  beauti- 
ful country  covered  with  the  largest  forests.  Going  on 
shore,  the  natives  were  found  to  have  fled,  even  at  the  dis- 
tance of  two  leagues  from  the  sea  ;  a  few  only  were  found 
concealed,  from  among  whom  a  little  boy  was  chosen  to 
take  to  France.     In  complexion  they  were  fairer  than  tha 


10 


■■■« 


Nil 


-y'\ 


u 


■\ 


i 


others,  and  the  women,  for  they  saw  no  men,  wore  a 
covering  made  of  a  certain  plant  hanging  from  the  branch- 
es of  trees,  which  they  united  with  thread  of  wild  hemp. 
Their  food  was  a  kind  of  pulse  that  was  plentiful  and  de- 
lightful in  flavor,  differing  in  color  and  size  from  that  of 
France.  Birds  were  taken  in  snares  for  food,  and  fish 
killed  with  bows  of  hard  wood,  having  the  arrows  of  reed 
pointed  v.'ith  bone.  Many  boats  were  seen  twenty  feet  in 
length,  made  of  a  single  log,  hollowed  out  by  burning, 
without  the  use  of  any  instrument.  Grapes  grew  wild, 
twining  about  trees,  as  the  vines  do  in  Lonibardy.  They 
were  evidently  held  in  estimation,  as  the  thicket  was 
found  carefully  removed  about  them,  to  allow  the  fruit 
better  to  ripen.  Roses,  lilies  and  violets  were  observed, 
and  some  flowers  that  were  not  known. 

After  having  remained  three  days  riding  at  anchor  on 
the  coast,  the  course  was  again  taken  up,  running  to  the 
northeast  along  the  shore  for  a  hundred  leagues,  the  vessels 
sailing  in  the  daytime  only,  and  casting  anchor  at  night. 
In  all  that  country,  extending  the  distance  of  two  hundred 
leagues,  no  stone  was  found  of  any  sort. 

As  the  first  land  recognizable  by  the  description,  the 
entrance  to  New  York  harbor,  now  approaches,  it  will  be 
a  convenient  moment  to  look  back  over  the  first  half  of 
the  narrative,  from  which  the  most  probable  facts  have 
already  been  recited.  The  general  character  of  the  land 
and  its  vegetation,  could  have  been  so  correctly  described 
only  from  actual  information  ;  other  statements  will  now 
be  given  that  have  been  omitted  for  their  improbability  or 
their  error.  As  to  distances,  it  is  proper  to  remember 
that  little  confidence  can  be  j)laced  in  early  accounts  ;  the 
log  was  unknown  until  about  1577,  and  after  it  was  dis- 
covered, was  not  correctly  marked  uutil  the  year  1635. 
During  the  interval,  vessels  depending  on  it  would  under- 
rate their  true  distance  one  fifth.  In  sailing  along  the 
shore,  after  making  the  land  in  34°  of  latitude,  having  the 


11 


port  to  starboard,  as  the  coast  thence  trends  southwesterly, 
the  vessel  could  not,  in  fifty  leagues,  have  gone  over  a  de- 
gree and  a  half  southward. 

The  Dalfina  sailed  two  thirds  of  the  voyage  acros'  the 
ocean  from  the  Desertas,  coast  of  Africa,  in  latitude  32° 
44',  due  west,  until  within  four  degrees  of  the  Bermudas  ; 
and  in  making  the  slight  deviation  afterwards  from  that 
line,  which  brought  the  landfall  in  34°,  her  course  was  not 
so  far  from  those  islands,  standing  between  32°  8'  and  32° 
34',  that  she  might  not  have  been  in  sight  of  them.  This 
may  be  of  doubtful  importance,  that  they  were  not  dis- 
covered, particularly  as  the  vessel  encountered  a  storm  on 
coming  into  the  trade  wind  ;  still  it  is  to  be  remarked, 
that  nothing  is  said  vvhich  would  imply  a  knowledge  of 
their  existence,  although  they  had  then  been  discovered 
nearly  two  years,  a  fact  that  could  hardly  escape  the  at- 
tention of  a  pilot  having  to  move  in  their  direction.  Of 
the  four  courses  taken,  from  the  time  of  arrival,  along  the 
land,  three  of  them  are  wrong.  The  vessel  first  sailed 
south  fifty  leagues,  instead  of  southwest,  and  returned  ; 
thence  west  instead  of  north-northwest,  from  Cape  Henry, 
then  north  fifty  leagues  instead  of  northeast,  and  finally 
northeast  one  hundred  leagues,  sailing,  for  a  better  view 
of  the  land,  as  has  been  said,  only  by  day,  and  favored  by 
an  open  sky  ;  yet  in  that  leisurely  exploration,  no  cajte  or 
inlet  was  seen,  no  place  named,  no  berth  found,  where  a 
vessel  could  anchor  in  safety.  Equally  wide  of  the  truth, 
in  tact,  is  the  description  of  the  coast,  as  being  so  bold 
that  within  four  or  five  fathoms  of  the  shore  there  arc 
twenty-four  feet  of  water  at  all  tides,  and  the  depth  con- 
stantly increasing  in  a  uniform  proportion  toward  the  sea. 
These  are  not  such  mistakes  as  could  have  been  made  by 
a  sailor  taking  no  more  than  an  ordinary  interest  in  a  new 
country  along  which  he  was  passing  for  the  first  time  ; 
they  are  more  like  such  facts  as  might  be  invented  and 
thrown  in  among  the  observations  found  in  the  memoran- 


12 


in 


dum  book  of  a  landsman.  What  would  have  come  within 
his  vision  is  well  portrayed  :  the  sand  hills,  the  absence  of 
stone  that  he  could  discover,  the  grand  forests  having  the 
laurel  and  the  palm,  the  wild  roses  and  heartsease,  the 
aroma  of  vegetation,  the  cane  arrows,  the  beasts,  the  birds 
and  the  means  for  taking  them,  the  noble  grape  vines 
ascending,  and  the  long  inoss  hanging  from  the  oaks,  of 
which  the  women  made  their  partial  garments,  using  the 
thread  of  the  wild  aloe — these  are  naturally  told  without 
exaggeration  or  error,  as  they  would  address  themselves  to 
the  senses.  But  once  he  saw  some  creeks,  where  the  boat 
upon  a  time  went  to  land.  The  complexions  of  the  Indians 
are  none  of  his  coloring.  The  fault,  thirty  years  after  the 
paper  pretends  to  have  been  written,  we  may  suppose  had 
come  within  the  knowledge  of  Ramusio,  and  does  not  ap- 
pear to  have  escaped  his  attention  ;  but  otherwise  he  mrvy 
have  seen  no  reason  to  discredit  the  paper,  and  believed  it 
a  memorial  worth  preserving.  Hence  it  is,  perhaps,  that 
the  natives,  in  the  account  he  published,  arc  not  neri, 
black,  nor  differing  in  little  from  "  Ethiopians,"  but  are 
herretini,  brown,  not  much  differing  from  "  Saracens  ;  " 
no  more  are  they,  in  another  region,  hianchisimo,  very 
white,  but  rather  bronzino,  of  a  coppery  hue.  So  of  the 
grapes  that  were  often  eaten  and  found  to  be  sweet  ;  as 
the  voyagers  disco  tiered  the  country  in  March,  and  were 
back  again  to  France  early  in  July,  before  the  frui*.  could 
have  been  more  than  half  grown,  they  are  spoken  of  as 
raisins.  In  the  early  part  of  March,  the  time  is  also 
spoken  of  as  summer.  Had  the  Dalfina  taken  her  depar- 
ture from  Europe  at  the  time  that  voyages  to  the  northern 
parts  of  America  were  commenced  in  those  days,  whether 
for  fishing,  traffic,  or  on  discovery,  about  the  end  of  April 
or  beginning  of  March,  instead  of  midwinter,  the  "  sum- 
mer "  would  have  fallen  in  one  of  its  proper  months,  the 
flowers  might  have  been  seen  to  bloom  in  their  usual  sea- 
son, the  fruit  eaten  ripe,  and  the  trees  of  colored  foliage 


Vf 


13 

witnessed  in  outiimn.  Thus  the  dates  generally  given  in 
the  letter  appear  to  be,  in  relation  to  the  matters  that  are 
named,  three  months  in  advance  of  their  natural  season. 

The  vessel  is  now  supposed  to  draw  nigh  to  New 
York: 

"After  proceeding  one  huiidred  Icaguesi,  wo  found  a  very  pleasant 
situation  among  some  steep  hills,  through  which  a  very  large  river,  deep  at 
its  mouth,  forced  its  way  to  the  sea ;  from  the  sea  to  the  estuary  of  the 
river,  any  ship  heavily  laden  might  pass,  with  the  help  of  the  tide,  which 
rises  eight  feet.  But  as  wc  were  riding  at  anchor  in  a  good  berth,  we  would 
not  venture  up  in  our  vessel,  without  a  knowledge  of  the  mouth ;  therefore 
we  took  a  boat,  and  entering  the  river,  we  found  the  country  on  its  banks 
well  peopled,  the  inhabitants  not  differing  much  from  the  others,  being 
dressed  out  with  the  feathers  of  birds  of  various  colors.  They  came  to- 
wards us  with  evident  delight,  raising  loud  shouts  of  admiration,  and  show- 
ing us  where  wo  could  most  securely  land  with  our  boat.  We  passed  up  this 
river  about  half  a  league,  when  wc  found  it  formed  a  most  beautiful  lake 
three  leagues  in  circuit,  upon  which  they  were  rowing  thirty  or  more  of 
their  small  boats,  from  one  shore  to  the  other,  filled  with  multitudes  who 
came  to  see  us.  All  of  a  sudden,  as  is  wont  to  happen  to  navigators,  a 
violent  contrary  wind  blew  in  from  the  sea,  and  forced  us  to  return  to  our 
ship,  greatly  regretting  to  leave  this  region  which  seemed  so  commodious  and 
delightful,  and  which  we  supposed  must  also  contain  great  riches,  as  the 
hills  showed  many  indications  of  minerals.  Weighing  anchor  wo  sailed 
eighty  leagues  t& ..  .ird  the  east,  as  the  coast  stretched  in  that  direction,  and 
always  insight  of  it;  at  length  we  discovered  nn  island  of  a  triangular 
form,  about  ten  lep;;ues  from  the  main  land,  in.  size  about  equal  to  the 
Island  of  Rhodes,  having  many  hills  covered  with  trees,  and  well  peopled, 
judging  from  the  great  number  of  fires  which  we  saw  all  around  its 
shores  ;  we  gave  it  the  name  of  your  Miijest;'s  illustrious  mother." 

The  island  just  seen  is  considered  to  be  Block  ;  and 
the  description  which  follows  is  said  to  be  an  excellent 
one  of  Narraganset  Bay  and  the  harbor  of  Newport.* 

"  We  did  not  land  there,  ns  the  wea'.her  was  unfavorable,  but  proceeded 
to  another  place,  fifteen  leagues  distant  from  the  island,  where  we  found  a 


•  Providence  Daily  Jourual :  artiolo  jmblishoJ  in  January  1855.  Tlio  opinion, 
however,  is  not  unil'orm.  Dr.  Uclknap  says  that  by  the  description  tlio  har- 
bor of  New  York  must  be  intended,  nml  Dr.  Sumuel  Miller  that  it  applies  with 
more  probability  to  the  harbor  of  Now  York  than  to  any  otiior  ;  but  he  adds: 
"  The  truth  is,  there  are  some  diffloulties  to  be  surmounted  in  applying  the 
description  to  either."    (Ducnvnt  hrfore  tht  Kno  York  HUiorieal  Soc,  voiri.) 


'■p 


SI' 


14 


/»!) 


•    i 


u 


\l" 


vtM'v  t'xoclleiit  harbor.  Hoforp  piitoriiiK  il,  we  siiw  alioiil  Iwciity  siniill  lioals 
full  of  projilo,  who  raiiic  aliuut  our  ship,  iilteriri);  iiiiiiiy  (.'lies  of  iiMtonisli- 
iiKMit,  Ijiit  thoy  wouhl  not  njiproacli  iioaicr  tliaii  within  lifly  paros — •  •  *. 
We  ofton  went  live  or  six  hMguos  into  the  interior,  anil  found  the  country 
ii!i  ph'asant  as  is  possibh'  to  conn-ivc,  ailaptoil  to  oultivalion  of  every  liinil, 
whether  of  corn,  wine  or  oil;  ihoro  are  open  plains  twenty-live  or  thirty 
leagues  in  extent,  entirely  free  from  trees  or  other  hiiidranee)',  and  of  so 
great  fertility  that  whatever  is  sown  there  will  yield  an  excellent  crop.  (»ii 
entering  the  wooil.^,  wc  observed  that  they  might  all  bo  traversc<l  by  an 
army  ever  so  numerous  ;  the  trees  of  which  ihcy  were  composed  were  oaks, 
cypresses,  and  others  unknown  to  Europe.  We  found  also  apples,  plums, 
filberts,  and  many  other  fruits  ;  but  all  of  a  dilfurent  kind  from  ours.  The 
animals,  which  are  in  great  numbers,  as  stngs,  deer,  lynxes,  and  many 
other  species,  are  taken  by  snares,  and  by  bows,  the  latter  being  their  chief 
implement;  their  arrows  are  wrought  with  great  beanty,  and  for  the  heads 
of  them  they  use  emery,  jasper,  hard  marble,  and  other  sharp  stones,  in  the 
place  of  Iron.  They  also  use  the  same  kind  of  sharp  Rtones  in  cutting  don  n 
trees,  and  with  lliem  they  construct  their  boats  of  single  logs,  hollowed  out 
with  adininible  skill,  and  suflieiently  commodious  to  contain  ten  or  twelve 
persons;  •  •  *^.  There  is  no  cloubt  that  they  would  build  stately  edifices  if 
they  had  workmen  as  skilful  as  ours ;  for  the  whole  .sea-coast  abounds  in 
shining  stones,  crystals,  and  alabaster,  and  for  the  same  reason  it  has 
holes  and  retreats  for  animals.  •  *  «  This  region  is  situated  in  the  parallel 
of  Home,  being  41°  40'  of  north  latitude  ;  but  much  colder  from  accidental 
circumstances,  and  not  by  naturo,  as  I  shall  hereafter  explain  to  your 
Majesty,  and  confine  myself  at  present  to  the  description  of  its  local  situa- 
tion. It  looks  towards  the  south,  on  which  side  tITc  harbor  is  half  a  league 
broad  ;  afterwards  upon  entering  it,  the  extent  betweer  the  coast  ami  north 
is  twelve  leagues,  and  then  enlarging  it.self  it  forms  a  very  large  bay  twenty 
leagues  in  circumference,  in  which  are  five  small  islands,  of  great  fertility 
and  becuty,  cvcrcd  with  large  and  lofty  trees.  Among  these  islands  any 
fleet,  however  large,  might  ride  .safely,  without  fear  of  tempests  or  other 
dangers.  Turning  towards  the  south,  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  on  both 
sides,  there  are  very  pleasant  hills,  and  many  streams  of  clear  water,  which 
flow  down  to  the  sea.  In  the  mids*  of  the  entrance,  there  is  a  rock  of  free- 
stone, formed  by  nature,  and  suitable  for  the  construction  of  any  kind  of 
machine  or  bulwark  for  the  defence  of  the  harbor." 


% 


-  f, 


The  island,  ten  leagues  from  the  main  land,  does  not 
describe  Block,  which  is  not  above  five  ;  nor  in  size  is 
it  like  Rhodes,  which  is  nearly  one  third  that  of  Long 
Island  in  area.  Neither  has  it  many  hills,  like  that 
classic  isle,  nor  indeed  any  ;  it  has,  howcer,  a  somewhat 
triangular   form,   and   was   formerly   well  wooded.      Its 


h     If 


h  h 


15 


(listanco  from  New  York,  instead  of  being  eighty,  is  about 
forty  leagues.** 

And  her*..'  it  may  bo  well  to  take  notice  of  a  version  of 
this  letter  in  English,  printed  by  Hakluyt  in  1582,  trans- 
lated from  Ramusio.  The  text  sets  forth  the  distance  of 
the  ishmd  from  the  main  land  to  bo  three  leagues  instead 
often,  acciirding  to  both  the  Italian  copies,  and  on  the 
margin  is  a  note,  to  the  effect  that  this  is  the  Island  of 
Claudia.  The  name  Claude  is  jiut  that  of  the  queen  mother, 
for  whom  the  letter  states  the  island  to  have  been  called, 
but  that  of  the  wife  of  the  king.  The  introduction  declares 
that  the  plot  in  the  end  of  '.  book  is  made  according  to 
John  Verarzanus,  who  'lad  been  thrice  on  the  coast,  and 
gave  an  excellent  old  map  of  it  to  Henry  VIII. ;  but,  be 
that  as  it  niaj^,  in  the  same  manner  as  there,  the  Island 
and  coast  are  represented  on  a  maj)amundi  of  Gerardus 
Mcrcator  in  the  Imperial  Library  of  Paris,  four  feet  by 
six  in  size,  printed  in  1560,  which  correspond  on  Blunt's 
Chart  to  the  peninsula  formed  about  Halifax,  and  to  the 
shores  of  Nova  Scotia,  better  than  to  any  other  lands. 
Thus  on  the  coast  called  Norombega,  is  placed  that  island, 
east  of  a  bay  marked  C.  de  layus  i/slas,  which  may  be  that 
of  Fundy  (fondo  ?),  west  of  C.  Dohlada  (costa  dohla- 
da)  ;  and  going  northward  come  Esta  he  a  terra  dus 
Bretones:  This  is  the  land  of  the  Bretons  ;  names  and 
words  exclusively  in  the  Portuguese  language,  suggesting 
the  discoveries  made  early  in  the  century. 

The  following  is  a  description  that  answers  well  to  the 
bold  shores  of  Maine  and  New  Brunswick,  their  rocks  and 
islands,  containing  a  fair  account  of  the  savages  who 
tmce  inhabited  them. 


//•f  ( -'  f 


/{.-rr^t""" 


7 


i-^/ 


7 


"  Having  .supplied  ourselves  with  everylhing  necessary,  on  Ine  6th  of 
May  we  departed  from  the  port,  and  sailed  one  hundred  and  tifly  leagues. 


•  As  tlicro  have  been  »omo  errors  made  in  printing  the  tranxlation  of  tliis 
letter  in  tlie  New  York  Historicai  Society  ouilcction,  pnrticulHrly  in  flsjures,  the 
iDmlersliould  refer  to  the  oricrin.il  in  Italian,  pnhlislieJ  with  it,  for  correction. 


16 


I 


keeping  so  cloi*  lo  the  coast  am  never  to  lose  it  from  our  Hi);lit ;  the  nuture 
of  the  country  .ippeared  niiicli  the  sumc  ax  before,  hut  the  iiiountnitiH  weru 
u  II;  tie  hi<,'hor,  and  all  in  appe»ranu<>  rieii  in  niineraln.  We  did  not  Htop 
lolund,  a3  the  weather  was  very  favorable  for  pnisuin;;  oiir  voyage,  and  llie 
eountry  presented  no  variety.  Tiie  shore  stretehed  lo  the  eaiit,  and  lifly 
leagues  beyond,  more  to  the  north,  where  we  found  a  more  elevated  coun- 
try, full  of  very  tliick  woods  of  fir  trees,  eyprcssos,  and  the  like,  indicative 
of  a  cold  climate.  Tlie  people  were  entirely  ditfercnt  from  others  we  had 
seen,  whom  we  had  found  kind  and  gentle,  but  these  were  so  rude  and  bar- 
barous that  we  were  unable,  by  any  signs  we  could  make,  to  hold  comni'ini- 
catioii  with  them.  They  clothe  themselves  in  the  skins  of  bears,  lynxes, 
seals,  and  other  animals.  Their  food,  as  far  as  wo  could  judge  by  several 
visits  to  their  dwellings,  is  obtained  by  hunting  and  fishini.',  and  eortain 
fruits,  which  are  a  sort  of  root  of  spontaneous  growth.  They  have  no 
(uilsc,  and  we  saw  no  signs  of  cullivnlion;  the  land  appears  sterile  and  unlit 
for  growing  of  fruit  or  grain  of  any  kind.  If  we  wished  at  any  tiuu>  to  traffic 
with  them,  they  came  to  the  sea  shore  and  stood  upon  the  rocks,  from  which 
they  lowered  down  by  a  cord  to  our  boats  beneath  whatever  they  had  to 
barter,  continually  crying  out  to  us  not  to  come  nearer,  and  instantly  dc- 
m.indiiig  from  us  that  which  was  to  be  given  in  exchange;  they  took  from 
us  oidy  knives,  fish-liooks,  and  sharpened  steel.  No  regard  was  paid  to  our 
courtc.-ies ;  when  we  had  nothing  left  to  exchatrgc  with  them,  the  men  ot 
our  departure  made  the  most  brutal  signs  of  disdain  and  contempt  possible. 
Against  their  will  we  penetrated  two  or  three  leagues  into  the  interior  with 
twenty-five  men  ;  when  wo  came  to  the  shore  they  shot  at  us  with  their 
arrows,  raising  the  most  horrible  cries  and  afterwards  fleeing  to  the  woods. 
In  their  region  we  found  nothing  extraordinary  except  va.st  forests  and 
some  metalliferous  hills,  an  we  infer  from  seeing  that  many  of  the  people 
wore  copper  car-rings.  Departing  from  thence,  we  kept  along  the  coast, 
steering  northeast,  and  found  the  country  more  pleasant  and  open,  free  from 
woods;  and  distant  in  the  interior  we  saw  lofty  mountains,  but  none  which 
extended  to  the  shore.  Within  fifty  leagues  we  discovered  thirty-two 
islands,  all  near  the  main  land,  small  and  of  pleiusant  appearance,  but  high 
and  so  disposed  as  to  afford  excellent  harbors  and  channels,  as  we  sec  in 
the  Adriatic  fiiilf,  near  Illyria  and  Dalmatia.  We  had  no  intercourse  with 
the  people,  hut  wp  judge  that  they  were  similar  in  nature  and  usages  to 
those  wc  were  last  among.  After  sailing  between  east  and  north  the  dis- 
tance of  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  more,  and  finding  our  provisions 
and  naval  stores  nearly  exhausted,  wc  took  in  wood  and  water,  and  deter- 
mined to  return  to  France,  having  di.scovered  .102  leagues,  that  is  7<ift 
leagues,  more  of  unknown  lands." 

The  foregoing  i)a88ag08  are  the  most  remarkable  in 
the  whole  letter.  After  leaving  Narragansetr  Bay,  Ver- 
razzano  sailed  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues,  keeping  so 
close  to  the  shore  as  never  to  lose  sight  of  it,  and  the 


17 


nature  of  the  country  appeared  much  the  same  as  before  ; 
consequently  it  would  seem  that  he  went  outside  of  Mar- 
tha's Vineyard  and  Nantuclcot  not  to  have  discerned  their 
insular  character,  but  he  could  not  have  failed  to  see  the 
shoals  and  rips,  presenting  another  difficult  question  to 
answer  :  how  could  a  nautical  man  pass  those  islands  and 
Capo  Cod,  and  not  observe  the  difference  of  that  low  sandy 
coast  ?  How  any  one  following  the  shore  to  Nova  Scotia 
— in  this  instance  a  mariner  on  the  look  out  for  a  strait 
opening  the  way  to  Cathay,  and  discovering  the  series  of 
islands  extending  along  Massachusetts  Bay  eastward  to 
Cape  Sable — should  fail  to  get  into  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  is 
certainly  beyond  explanation  ;  more  difficult  indeed  to 
account  for,  than  running  along  the  southern  shores  by 
daylight  without  finding  Cape  Hatteras,  or  a  harbor  in 
which  a  vessel  could  lie  with  safety,  or  not  making  the 
discovery  of  the  entrances  to  Chesapeake  and  Delaware 
Bays, 

Of  all  that  extent  of  coast,  declared  to  be  seven  hun- 
dred leagues  of  unknown  lands,  but  a  tingle  locality  re- 
ceives a  name,  but  a  single  latitude  is  stated,  that  of  a 
region  situated  in  the  parallel  of  Rome,  41°  40',  (true 
distance  41°  53'  54",)  if  we  shall  except  that  of  the  point 
of  return  in  50°,  and  of  arrival  on  the  coast  in  34°,  which 
may  be  supposed  to  have  been  guessed  at  rather  than  as- 
certained, brought  sailing  westward  with  easterly  winds 
from  the  Desertas.  After  these  omissions,  and  rising  to 
so  high  a  latitude  as  the  northeasternmost  extremity  of 
Newfoundland,  no  surprise  can  ensue  at  a  failure  to  ob- 
serve the  great  southern  entrance  of  the  Golfo  Quadrado, 
(Bay  of  St.  Lawrence,)  or  failing,  for  the  discomfort  of 
history,  to  notice  a  single  smack  of  Breton  or  Norman 
encountered  in  the  five  degrees  run  of  northern  fisheries.* 

•  Some  notices  exist  of  tlie  umnber  iind  flags  of  vessels  employed  about  the 
time  iu  taking  flsh  on  these  coosts.  In  the  yesr  1527,  Rut/,  an  English  ship- 
master, wrote  to  Henry  VIII.,  IVom  Newfoundland,  that  iu  the  haven  of  St. 
John,  where  he  lay,  he  had  found  eleven  sail  of  Norman,  one  Breton,  and  two 


18 


r./ 


^<'■ 


Another  circumstance  worthy  of  romiuk  is,  Ihnt  of 
tliis  wliolo  (listimco  of  const,  that  part  only  ap])cara  to  bo 
described  which  is  precisely  the  country  and  very  nearly 
the  amount  claimed  by  conteniporanemis  history  for  S])ain 
as  the  discovery  of  the  Portuguese,  Kstcvun  Gomez, 
made  the  year  after,  1525;  thr.t  is  to  say,  in  extent 
from  Barnegat  northward  nearly  to  the  farthermost  limit 
of  Nova  Scotia.  That  pilot  explored  the  Bay  of  Fundy, 
and  named  a  great  river  Howing  into  it ;  and  the  gulf  of 
islands,  lying  thence  westward  into  Massachusetts  Bay, 
was  called  for  him,  on  early  maps,  Archip\elaijn  de  Es- 
ttvan  GoiiHZ.  Both  voyages  were  also  begun  in  winter, 
an  unusual  season  for  such  enterprises  in  those  days  ;  and 
that  of  Verrazzano  was  likewiso  made  in  a  caravel,  if  we 
are  to  credit  the  letter  of  Carli  only. 

A  portion  of  the  letter  of  Vcrrazaano,  in  the  copy 
from  the  J^giiabcchia  collection,  is  not  to  be  found  in  the 
one  printed  by  Ranuisio  ;  it  is  a  cosmographical  exposition 
of  his  Toyagc  and  resimien  of  the  extent  of  western  dis- 
covery to  that  time.     In  it  these  passages  occur : 

"  My  intention  in  iliis  voy„go  was  to  rt-ach  Catliay,  on  tlio  oxtrcmc  coast 
of  Asia,  expecting,  however,  to  find  in  the  newly  diHoovcrcd  land  .■some  sucli 
an  obstacle  a'  tlioy  liavc  proved  to  bo,  yet  I  did  not  doubt  that  I  sliouid 
penetrate  by  gome  passage  to  the  eastern  ocean.  It  was  the  opinion  of  the 
ancients,  that  our  oriental  Indian  ocean  ia  one,  without  any  interposing  land ; 
Ari.stotlc  supports  it  l)y  arguments  founded  on  various  probabilities  ;  but  it 
is  contrary  to  that  of  the  moderns,  and  shuwn  to  be  erroneous  by  experi- 
ence ;  the  country  which  has  been  discovered,  and  which  wa.s  unknown  to 
the  ancients,  is  another  world  compared  with  that  before  known,  being 
manifestly  larger  than  our  Europe,  together  with  Africa,  and  perhaps  Asia, 
if  we  rightly  estimate  its  extent,  as  shall  now  be  briefly  explained  to  your 
Majesty.  The  Spaniards  have  sailed  south  beyond  the  equator  on  a  merid- 
ian of  20  degrees  west  of  the  Fortunate  Islands  to  the  latitude  of  54",  and 
there  still  found  land.  •  »  •  Beyond  this  point  (the  60th  parallel  of 
north  latitude)  the  rortugucsc  had  already  sailed  as  far  north  as  the  Arctic 
circle,  without  coming  to  the  termination  of  land.  Thus  adding  tlic  degrees 
of  south  latitude  explored,  which  are  61,  to  those  of  the  uortli,  which  are 

Portiiguese.  A  report  coming  from  the  same  biirk,  mndo  at  Torto  Kieo,  to  a 
Spanish  officer  of  tlie  sea  service,  was  that  iit  tlio  Bacniaos  full  fifty  sail  of 
vessels,  Spanish,  French,  and  Portiignosc,  lind  been  se(Mi. 


11) 


66,  tb«  sum  is  120,  nnd  tlicrcfuro  more  tlian  arc  embraced  iu  the  latitude  of 
Africa  Slid  Europe,  for  the  iiortii  point  of  Norway,  wliich  i.^  tlio  extremity 
of  Euroiie,  is  in  71 '  north,  and  the  Capo  of  Good  Hope,  which  U  the  south- 
em  extremity  of  Africa,  is  in  ar>  sout'.i,  and  tlicii  sum  U  only  lilC,  and  if 
the  breadth  of  thi?  newly  discovered  country  corrcnpunda  to  its  extent  of 
«ca  coost,  it  doubtlcea  exceeds  Asia  in  size.  In  this  way  wo  find  that  the 
land  forms  a  much  larger  portion  of  our  globo  than  the  ancients  supposed, 
who  maintained,  contrary  to  mathematical  reasoning,  that  it  was  less  than 
the  water,  whereas  actual  experience  proves  tho  reverse,  so  that  we  judge, 
in  respect  to  extent  of  surface,  tho  land  covers  ns  much  space  as  the  water; 
and  I  hope  more  clearly  and  more  satisfactorily  to  point  out  and  explain  to 
your  Mojcsty  tlie  grcii'.  extent  of  lliat  new  land,  or  new  world,  of  which  I 
h»Te  beer  speaking.  The  continent  of  Asia  and  Africa,  wo  know  for  cer- 
tain, is  joined  to  Europe  at  the  north  in  Norway  and  Uussia,  which  disproves 
the  idea  of  tho  ancicnls  that  all  this  part  had  been  navigated  from  the  Cim- 
bric  Chersouesus  eastward  as  far  as  tho  ('u!<pian  i^n.  They  also  maintained 
that  the  whol.t  continent  was  surrounded  by  two  seas  situate  to  the  east 
and  west  of  it,  which  seas  in  fact  do  not  surround  eitlier  of  tho  two  conti- 
nents, for,  as  we  have  seen  above,  tho  land  of  the  southern  hemisphere  at 
the  latitude  of  TM*  extends  easlwardly  an  unknown  distance,  and  that  of  the 
northern  passing  the  tlOth  parallid  turns  to  the  oast,  and  has  no  torniination 
as  high  as  the  Tilth." 

From  tilt'  forogoing,  it  imist  appear  that  the  writer  in 
his  argument  refers  to  the  southernmost  discovery  of  Ma- 
gellan, tho  knowledge  of  which  was  tirst  imjiarted  hy  the 
return  of  the  Trinidad,  on  tho  6th  of  May,  1521,  from 
the  Straits  ;  hnt  it  was  not  known  at  the  time  that  the 
entrance  had  an  outlet  westward  into  the  Southern  Ocean. 
In  estimating  amounts  of  land  and  water,  the  sea  traversed 
hy  Magellan  evidently  did  not  enter  into  the  account,  or 
it  uuist  have  considemhly  altorod  the  estimate,  if  it  did 
not  give  an  opjwsite  proportion.  The  date  of  this  infor- 
mation, certainly  the  latest,  was  that  brought  hy  Estevan 
Gomez,  the  returning  pilot.  In  the  year  1524,  no  navi- 
gator could  have  been  ignorant  of  the  news  of  that  great 
achievement,  tho  circumnavigation  of  the  earth,  by  the 
arrival  in  Spain,  on  the  6th  day  of  September,  1522,  of 
De  Elcano  from  India,  which  more  astonished  Europe 
than  had  the  success  of  Columbus  even.  In  the  Pacific, 
Magellan  had  crossed  from  west  to  east,  without  obstruc- 
tion, an  extent  of  sea  equal  to  nearly  half  the  circumfer- 


20 


t< ., 


ence  of  tlie  globe,  and  passed  northward  tliiongh  seventy- 
two  degrees  of  latitude.  Jn  that  same  year  the  islands  of 
Bermuda  were  discovered,  which  strengthens,  as  with 
another  link,  the  chain  of  argiunent. 

Neither  the  disco\  y,  nor  the  name  of  Verrazzano,  is 
to  be  found  in  the  Sjianich  histories  of  this  age  ;  but  the 
name  and  exploit  of  Juan  Florentin  in  taking  the  Mexi- 
can treasure,  had  a  wide  celebrity.  This  silence  appears 
to  have  been  first  broken  there  at  the  close  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  by  Alonzo  de  Hcrrera,  in  the  Dccadas  dc 
Tndias,  where  he  has  sketched  an  outline  of  the  voyage,  it 
would  appear  from  Kamusio. 

Baroia,  in  the  Ensayo  Cronologi'co  para  la  Historia 
de  la  Florida,  notices  this  resumen,  and  says,  under  the 
l)roper  liead  of  1524,  that  in  tVis  year  Verrazzano,  after 
having  been  greatly  favored  and  honored,  again  went  to 
sea  with  a  stronger  outfit  than  before,  committing  still 
greater  ravages  ;  but,  on  his  return  to  France,  having 
encountered  four  vessels  belonging  to  Biscay,  his  ships 
were  captured  and  sent  to  Seville.  Thence  he  and 
his  cuptaips  were^taken  to  Madrid,  and  after  trial,  having 
been  adjudged  public  enemies  and  guilty  of  piracy,  they 
were  hanged  at  Puerto  del  Pico.  Whatever  may  have 
been  his  fortune,  certain  it  is  from  this  time  we  hear  of 
him  no  more.  The  same  facts  are  stated  in  the  Bihlioteca 
Americana  of  Antonio  Alccdo,  MS.  composed  in  1807  ; 
but  whether  he  repeats  what  the  other  has  written,  or 
draws  from  the  original  source,  is  uncertain.  They  are 
both  authors  of  good  repute.  Barcia  was  of  the  Royal 
Council  of  Castilla,  held  important  offices,  and  was  one  of 
the  founders  in  Spain  of  the  Royal  Society  of  History. 
He  drew  much  of  the  material  in  this  work  of  1723  from 
unpublished  documents.  Alccdo,  known  better  for  his 
Diccionario  yeogrdfico  histdrico  de  las  Indias  Occiden- 
talcs,  a  labor  of  twenty  years,  held  high  positions  in  Spain, 
such  as  Field  Marshal  and  Governor  of  Coruiia. 


.'■t.'-t- 


21 


They  who  cau  find  instruction  in  speculative  history, 
may  be  gratified  with  a  fine  example  of  this  species  by 
turning  to  the  eleventh  chapter  in  the  Memoir  of  Cabot,  in 
which  Verrazzano  is  supposed  to  Lave  lost  his  life  in  the 
service  of  England.  The  opportunity  of  showing  this 
was  afforded  on  the  occasion  of  printing  tlie  letter  in  ques- 
tion, thirty  years  after  the  date  it  bears,  by  a  remark  of 
Riimusio  concerning  the  fate  of  this  navigator,  to  the  effect 
that  he  and  others  had  somewhere  been  killed,  roast  ^d,  and 
eaten  by  Indians,  in  sight  of  his  men.  It  was  likewise 
found,  in  the  same  year,  1527,  that  the  Mary  Guilford,  of 
Liverpool,  had  sailed  westwardly,  and  afterward  reported 
at  Porto  Rico  that  her  pilot,  a  native  of  Piedmont,  had 
been  slain  by  the  natives  of  Bacalaos.  These  slight  cir- 
cumstances, brought  together,  were  assumed  as  sufficient 
to  identify  Verrazzano  in  that  person,  record  the  time,  and 
mark  the  region  of  his  misfortune.  A  letter  to  Henry 
VIII.,  earlier  in  the  year,  written  by  the  master  of  the 
Mary  Guilford,  then  lying  in  the  haven  of  St.  John,  New- 
foundland, and  another  by  a  priest  on  board,  addressed  to 
Cromwell,  contain  not  a  word  in  reference  to  that  person- 
age, dead  or  ahve.* 

Tiraboschi,  too,  in  his  exploration  of  Italian  litera- 
ture, accidentally  struck  a  vein  that  proved  almost 
equally  productive.  It  is  a  passage  discovered  in  a 
letter  of  Annibal  Caro,  addressed  at  Castro  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  household  of  M.  di'  Gaddi,  treating  humorously 
of  his  travels.  In  the  course  of  his  addresses  to  the  dif- 
ferent persons,  he  says:  "As  for  you,  Verrazzano,  a 
seeker  after  new  worlds  and  their  wonders,  I  cannot  as 
yet  tell  you  anything  worthy  of  your  map  ;  for  we  have 
not  thus  far  passed  through  any  country  which  had  not 
been  already  tliscoverod  by  you  or  by  your  brother."  A 
grave  objection  to  this  letter,  it  will  be  seen,  is  the  date. 


"llaiff' 


,-V'.  >■• 


:'6. 


■•i:-/^x.  ■■,-, 


JSi- 


*  Biddlu:  ('Imp.  IX.     ilcrrcni :  l>c-t'.  II.  lib.  V.  cti\M^.  111. 


22 


' „  M-v^ 'j-"f  'ii.li 


so- 


1537,  two  years  after  Cartier  had  gone  on  his  second  voy- 
age, the  very  lateness  of  which  dampens  every  hope  of  a 
probable  value. 

''  Ma  e  degno  di  riflessionc  un  ])asso  dcUe  Leltere  di 
Annibal  Caro,  a  cui  niuno  di  liiiclli  che  hanno  scritto  del 
Verazzani,  ha  finor  posto  mente.  Scrivendo  cgli  da  Cp-g- 
tro  a'  13  di  ottobre  del  1537  a  tutti  i  famigliari  di  Mons. 
di'  Gaddi,  e  doscrivendo  piacevolmente  un  suo  vlaggio,  o 
ragionando  or  con  uno,  o  con  altro  de'  donicstici  di  quel 
prelato,  a  voi,  Verazzano,  dice  (Lett,  famil.  t.  I.  Idf.  13), 
co7ne  a  ccrcatore  di  nuovi  mondi,  e  delh  meravujlie  di 
essi,  no)i  posso  ancor  dir  cosa  dcgna  ddla  vostra  carta, 
pcrche  non  ovemo  passali  tcrre,  che  non  sieno  state  sco- 
pertc  da  voi,  o  da  vostrofratello,  Questo  passo  ci  mostra 
preimcramente  che  Giovanni  avea  un  fratello,  il  quale 
ancora  avea  molto  viaggiato  e  scoperti  nuovi  paesi.  Ma 
poiche  questi,  di  cui  non  sapianio  il  nome  proprio,  e  efFatto 
sconosciuto  agli  storici  di  quel  tempo,  convier^  dire  ch'  ei 
fosse  assai  men  celebre  del  fratello.  E  parmi  percio  veri- 
simile  che  il  cercatore  de'  nuovi  mondi,  con  cui  parla  qui 
il  caro,  sia  Giovanni.  II  che  se  o  vero,  converrii  diie  ch' 
ei  nou  fosse  abbastanza  preniiato  dal  re  di  Francia,  e  che 
dovesse  perciiS  tomar  seno  in  Italia,  ed  entrare  nella  fami- 
glia  del  Gaddi ;  e  che  il  racconto  del  Ramusio  o  sia  falso, 
o  ccrtamente  un  tal  fatto  si  debba  dilferire  di  molti  anni." 
— Storia  della  Littcratura  Italiana  del  Cav.  Abate  Girolamo 
Tiraboschi.     Tomo  VII.,  Parte;  I.,  Capo  VI. 

Here  are  two  discoverers  by  the  name  of  Verrazzano,  and 
one  of  them  is  assumed  to  be  Giovanni.  A  slight  examin- 
ation of  the  life  and  writings  of  Caro  will  show  that  at 
this  period  he  was  a  teacher  at  Rome,  in  the  family  of  M. 
Gaddi,  an  opulent  Florentine. 

The  following  sentences  succeed  the  one  given  by  Tira- 
boschi, before  quoted  :  "  It  has  been  told  you  already  that 
in  these  parts  we  found  many  more  animals  with  two  feet 
than  fiur,  and  many  more  snakes  than  men.     We  arrived 


23 


the  first  night  at  the  grand  villa  of  Monte  Rxiosi.  of  which 
I  have  only  to  tell  you,  that  they  made  ua  a  present  of  the 
heast  sent  to  you,  and  which  was  caught  at  night  follow- 
ing our  caravan."  * 

It  will  not  be  difficult  now  to  account  for  the  direction, 
and  offer  an  explanation  of  the  meaning  of  the  passages 
cited  :  that  the  author,  being  at  the  time  cf  writing  absent 
from  homo,  journeying  about  the  country,  in  sportively 
addressing  his  pujjils  from  Castro,  makes  reference  to 
their  studies  and  exercises  in  geography  and  map-making. 
The  name  of  Vcrrazzano  was  not  confined  to  a  family  any 
more  than  to  an  individual. 

From  the  reasoning  thus  brought  to  bear  on  the  point 
of  dates,  should  the  authorities  bo  deemed  credible,  it 
must  appear  that  if  this  voyage  of  Verrazzano  was  ever 
performed,  it  must  have  been  after  the  Cth  n[  May,  1521, 
the  day  of  the  return  of  Gomez,  and  before  the  6th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1522,  ihe  day  of  the  return  of  Do  Elcano  from 
the  circumnavigation  of  the  globe.  In  the  early  part  of 
1523,  Juan  Florentin  took  the  treasure  ships  of  Cortez  ; 
in  1524  he  was  himself  captured,  with  his  fleet,  some  of 
the  same  probably  which  liis  successes  of  the  year  before 
hatl  procured  for  him.  We  liave  already  seen,  in  the  be- 
giniiing  of  his  letter,  that  he  leaves  us  to  infer  the  loss  of 
two  of  his  four  vessels  while  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  to 
the  north,  doubtless  about  the  close  of  1523  ;  of  which 
enterprise,  however,  considerable  as  it  was,  tliere  exists  no 
trace  f  in  the  records  of  a  great  nation  in  the  centre  of 

*  tiiicry  :  Was  the ''boast'' enclosed  in  tlie  lettur! 
t  OUDKU  OK  KVKNTS. 


Miijrullaiu's,  on  tliu  'Jittli  Aufjust, 
(toincz,  on  the  (itli  May, 
Do  Kleano,  on  the  lUU  Sept., 
Vnrra/./jnio  ehiiscil  in 
Vcrrazzano,  in  the  early  jiart  of 
Vorra/.zano,  with  tour  vessels,  in 
Vernizzano,  on  tlie  ITlli  .Ian., 
Verrazzano,  on  tlie  8tli  July, 
Verrazzano  nllej;eil  to  liavi/been  in  1.' 
(■oinez  sails  t'roiM  Cunina  Dee.,        ir 


(.ii'niez  returns  in  detolier,' 


l"il9,  sails  from  Saiiliiear  sonthwestwiiril. 
1"p21,  returns  from  the  Straits  of  .Mii),'elliin. 
IS'JU,  returns  by  the  I'ape  of  Uoo(l  lloiio. 
l.ilJ'J  from  the  Canaries  toward  Azores. 
1523,  takes  the  Mcxiean  treasure  at  Azores. 
\t>i'\,  sails  northward  on  diseovery. 
ir)'J4,  sails  westward  from  Desertas. 
1,VJ4,  returns  to  Dieppe,  in  I'rance.  --     -       'i 

i  handed  at  the  Canaries. 

\,  for  western  enast  of  Anieriea. 


U.a.. 


i:.'.',^.  |.>  T 


I'ledo,  III  >pilin. 


24 


Europe,  time  and  war  being  supposed  to  have  carried 
away  every  memorial.* 

It  is  not  the  least  observable  circumstance  in  the 
history  of  this  voyage,  that  it  should  not  have  been  fol- 
lowed up,  or  remembered,  during  the  reign  in  which  the 
discovery  is  alleged  to  have  been  made,  and  in  the  long 
administration  of  the  Marine  by  Chalot,  from  1525  to 
1540.  In  the  Bibliotheqtic  Imperiale,  two  volumes  folio 
of  his  letters  in  manuscript,  written  in  the  year  1525, 
are  preserved  ;  and  fifteen  charts  there  on  parchment,  from 
his  cabinet,  contain  instructive  lessons  in  the  early  geog- 
raphy of  the  sixteenth  century.  That  minister  it  was 
who  favored  the  ideas  of  Jacques  Cartier,  and  presented 
his  memorial  to  the  king,  proposing  to  make  discoveries  in 
the  Terres-Neuvcs.  This  led  to  the  voyages  of  the  years 
1534,  1535,  and  1540,  with  the  settlement  of  Canada  ; 
yet  in  no  account  of  any  part  of  that  great  design  of  state, 
nor  even  in  the  part  of  Roberval,  undertaken  as  late  as 
1542,  does  the  name  of  Verrazzano  occur,  nor  is  any  refer- 
ence whatsoever  made  to  his  supposed  discovery.  If  there 
were  any  fame  of  the  sort,  why  should  France  choose  to 
settlo  her  population  so  far  to  the  north,  preferring 
the  cold  region  her  fishermen  were  conceded  to  have 
found,  to  the  milder  climate,  fertile  vales,  and  inviting 
bays  and  watercourses  of  New  England  and  New  York, 
which  had  been  discovered  by  royal  authority  during  the 
prince's  reign  ? 

The  opinion  in  Spain,  to  which  the  Council  of  State  and 
Indias  arrived,  upon  information  sent  them  from  the  Em- 
peror, is  full  as  to  their  knowledge  touching  the  supposed 
design  of  France  to  occupy  the  country  in  the  year  1541, 
and  the  extent  of  French  discovery  up  to  that  time  :  they 
say  that  there  is  no  unoccupied  country  on  the  north  sea, 
that  has  anything  covet '3.ble,  to  which  the  French  could 


*  Ilistoire  do  la  Nouvello  France,  par  lo  P.  I>c  Cliarlevoix  :  Tome  Premier, 
Livre  I. 


25 


go  ;  and  should  they  take  possession  of  any  land  there,  it 
would  be  to  relinquish  it  through  privation.  Their  judg- 
ment received  the  sanction  of  the  Archbishop  of  Sevilla, 
with  the  additional  remark,  that,  in  his  opinion,  all  the 
coast  to  Florida,  except  it  be  the  fishery,  was  entirely  value- 
less, whence  the  French  must  return  wasted,  with  few 
persons  and  little  of  the  substance  they  might  take  out  with 
them.  Their  aim  was  said  to  be  for  the  country  claimed  to 
have  been  long  since  discovered  by  the  Bretons  ;  that  the 
coast  south  of  it,  was  the  country  discovered  by  Estevan 
Gomez  and  by  Lucas  Vazquez  do  Ayllon.  On  the  margin 
of  one  of  these  consultations  is  written,  referring  to  the 
same  region  : 

"  On  old  charts,  some  say  :  Lands  of  the  Bretones, 
others.  Land  of  Portugal ;  on  one,  that  it  was  discovered 
by  French."  * 

The  earliest  document  to  this  time  found,  accrediting 
the  discovery  of  Verrazzano  has  been  brought  forward  by 
the  Librarian  of  the  New  York  Historical  Society.  It  is 
on  a  copper  globe  made  by  Euphrosynus  Vlpius,  at  Venice, 
in  1542.  Over  a  wide  extent  of  this  country  is  spread 
the  inscription  : 

Verrazana  sive  nova  Gallia  a  Verrazano  Flo- 
rentino  comperta  anno  sal.  m.  d. 


Within  a  scroll  on  the  instrument  are  the  words : 
"  Marcello  Cervino  S.  R.  E.  Presbitero  Cardinali.  D.  D. 
Rome." 

This  record  has  certainly  high  authority  in  the  former 
possessor's  name,  a  man  of  science,  taste,  and  equal  ener- 
gy, at  one  time  primate  of  Rome,  and  who  was  raised  from 
a  Cardinal  to  the  Pontificate  in  1554.  Yet  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served that  though  Cervino,  the  archbishop  of  Florence,  was 

•Coluocioii  do  viirios  doouincntoR  I'nrn  In  liistoriii  Jo  lii  I'luriilu  y  liiTnis 
iiilyHeciitcs.    Londrec,  1H67. 


20 


apostolic  nuncio  to  Fmnce  in  1539,  and  afterward  legate  to 
Charles  V.  in  Germany,  whom  ho  accompanied  into  Spain, 
ho  appears  not  to  have  been  able,  with  so  wide  opportunity 
and  the  influence  of  his  positions,  to  determine  for  this 
im})ortant  inscription  the  year  of  the  discovery  deemed  to 
have  been  made  by  his  follow  citizen  and  contemporary. 

In  the  preface  to  what  is  written  by  Landonier,  giving 
a  history  of  the  colonizing  of  Florida  by  the  French,  from 
the  year  1561  to  1565,  he  speaks  of  the  region  to  the 
north  being  called  New  France,  from  the  time  of  the  dis- 
covery of  it  by  Verrazzano  for  Francis  I.;  but  at  that 
date  the  letter  had  already  been  published  eight  or  nine 
years,  and  he  adds  nothing  to  what  may  be  read  either 
(here  or  in  the  introduction  written  by  Ramusio. 

After  a  deliberate  examination  of  these  matters,  it 
will  probably  be  difficult  to  find  a  reason  for  believing  that 
the  letter  in  question  was  written  by  Verrazzano,  or  to 
expect  to  find  any  contemporaneous  authority  to  show  that 
this  voyage  was  ever  made,  or  even  attempted.  The  nar- 
ration is  wanting  in  that  practical  character  that  would 
be  expected  to  mark  the  report  of  a  pilot  on  discoveries, 
who,  it  appears,  neither  examined  the  country  for  the 
riches  it  might  possess,  nor  the  shore  for  the  strait  it 
might  offer  ;  and,  in  view  of  our  later  knowledge,  it  is  in 
the  main  false.  The  facts  go  far  to  show,  that  the  paper 
was  written  at  a  time  so  far  back,  that  the  entrances  of 
the  coast  and  "  lay  of  the  land"  were  imperfectly  or  not 
at  all  known,  and  that  it  was  dated  too  far  forward,  to  bo 
in  proper  relation  with  the  progress  of  maritime  discovery. 

To  the  emulation  among  the  cities  of  Italy,  may  per- 
haps be  ascribed  the  probably  fictitious  accounts  of  voy- 
ages attributed  to  Amerigo  Vespuccio  ;  and  to  the  same 
feeling  we  may  be  again  indebted  for  this  pretended  letter 
of  another  Florentine. 

A  copy  of  the  letter  of  Carli,  which  accomi)anies  that 
of   Verrazzano   in   the   Migliabechia   collection,   is   here 


27 

translated,   and  for  the   first  time   published   in    Eng- 
lish: 


Letter  of  Fernando    Carli  to  his 
Father* 

In  tlio  name  of  Gotl. 

4th  day  of  August,  1524. 
Honored  Father : 

Remembering  that  when  I  was  in 
tho  Barbary  fleet  at  Oarbiuh,  the 
ncw8  which  were  daily  given  you 
from  tlio  illustrions  Signor  Uon 
Hugo  do  Moncada,  captain-general 
of  tho  CiBsarcan  Majesty  in  tlioso 
barl)aroufl  parts,  while  ho  was  pur- 
suing and  figiiling  the  Moors  of  that 
island,  it  appears  pleased  our  many 
correspondents  and  friends,  and  that 
you  were  congratidated  by  them  on 
the  victory  achieved  ;  so,  there  are 
news  again,  recently  received  liere, 
of  tlio  arrival  of  Captain  Giovanni 
Verrazzano,  our  Florentine,  at  the 
port  of  Dieppe,  in  Kormandy,  with 
his  ship,  the  DelKna,  in  which,  at  the 
end  of  January  hist,  he  went  from 
the  Canary  Islands  in  search  of  new 
countries  for  this  most  serene  crown 
of  Franco,  displaying  great  and  very 
noblo  courage  by  engaging  as  he  did 
in  an  unknown  navigation,  with  a 
single  sail,  a  caravel  of  scarcely  — f 
tons,  having  only  lifty  men,  with  the 
purpose,  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  of 
discovering  Cathay  by  taking  the 
way  into  climates  difl'erent  from  those 
in  which  the  Portngncso  are  accus- 
tomed to  make   discoveries  toward 

•  Historic  Italian  Archive ;  or,  Col- 
lection of  works  and  documents  until 
now  not  published,  or  which  have  be- 
come vciy  rare, concerning  the  history 
of  Italy.  Appendix.  VohnuelX.  Flo- 
rence. Gio.  I'ietroVicusseux,  director- 
editor  of  hisGabineto  Scientitlco-Litte- 
rario.    IS.IH. 

f  Tho  amanuensis  hag  left  out  the 
number  of  tons  burthen  of  the  ship. 


Lettera  lu  Fernando  Carli  a  sua 
padre.* 

Al  nome  di  Dio. 

adii  Agosto,  16'24. 
Onorani'o  padre: 

Considcrando  chc  quando  fui  in  la 
armata  di  Barbaria  alle  Gicrbc  vi 
furono  grate  Ic  nuovc  advisatevi  gior- 
nalmcntc  per  lo  illustre  sig.  Don  Ugo 
di  Moncada,  capitano  gencralc  della 
Ccsarca  Maestii,  in  ((uello  barbarc 
parti,  scguilJ'  certandof  con  li  Mori 
dfr  dctta  isola ;  per  la  quale  mo.stra- 
si  haver  fatto  piaccre  a  molti  nostri 
padroni  ed  aniici,  c  con  quelli  della 
conscguita  vittoria  congratulatovi ; 
pertanto,  (tscudo  nuovaniento  qui 
nuova  della  giunta  del  capitano  Gio- 
vanni da  Verrazzano  nostro  fiorentino 
alio  porto  di  Diepjta  in  Normandia 
con  .sua  nave  Dclfina,  con  la  quale  si 
parti  dalle  insule  Canarie  fino  di  Gen- 
naio  passato,  per  andarc  in  busca  di 
torre  nuovc  per  qucsta  screnissima 
corona  di  Francia,  in  die  mostro  co- 
raggio  troppo  nobilc  c  grando  a  met- 
tcrsi  a  tanto  incognito  viaggio  con 
una  sola  nave  che  appena  u  una  cara- 
vella  di  tonelli,^ — solo  con  50  uomini 
con  intenzionc  di,  giusta  sua  possa, 
di-scoprire  il  Cataio,  tcnendo  cam- 
mino  per  altri  climati  di  queUi  u.sano 
li    Portughesi   in    lo    discoprire    di 


*  Ari'hivo  Storico  Itiiliano  oi^sio  ruc- 
coltn  (li  opore  o  docuniciiti  tinora  ine- 
diti  o  divcnuti  rarissiini  risguurdimti 
111  Stcirin  d'  Itiilia.  Appcndice.  Touio 
IX.  Firenzc.  (Jio.  I'ictro  Viciisjicux, 
direttore-oditore  ul  ruo  Gubinctto  Soi- 
enlilk'O-Lettcrurio.  1833. 

+  Comhiittoiulo  (Autta  dM  edizione 

X  L'  uiiiunuonso  ha  laseiato  il  nun\e- 
ro  ilullo  tounellate  di  ciii  era  oiipacc  In 
liiivc  ^Nota  oome  sopni). 


28 


Cilicut ;  bill  going  townrtl  tlic  north- 
west and  the  nortli,  holding  on  his 
way  so  ns  to  find  some  country  or 
otlier,  althongh  Ptolemy,  Aristotle, 
and  other  eosniogrnpliors  Inid  down, 
that  no  land  was  to  bo  found  in  the 
diroi'liun  of  such  climates  ;  and  thus 
by  God  has  he  been  permitted  to  do, 
ns  he  sets  forth  lucidly  in  a  letter  to 
this  sacred  Majesty,  a  copy  of  which 
is  enclosed.  After  many  months 
spent  ill  navigation,  he  was  obliged, 
as  he  states,  for  want  of  provisions, 
to  return  from  that  hetnisphcre  to 
this,  having  been  seven  months  on 
the  voyage,  indicating  a  very  great 
and  rapid  passage  made  in  the  per- 
formance of  an  admirable  and  extra- 
ordinary feat,  to  the  mind  of  those 
who  understand  the  navigation  of 
the  globe.  T!ic  commencement  of 
that  voyage  was  marked  with  dis- 
aster, and  many  thought  'hat  there 
never  would  be  news  of  him,  or  of 
the  ship ;  that  it  must  be  lost  on  the 
farther  side  of  Norway,  by  reason  of 
the  huge  ice  in  that  northern  ocean  ; 
but,  as  that  Moor  said,  the  great  God, 
to  give  us  every  day  more  evidences 
of  his  infinite  power,  and  to  show 
us  how  admirable  is  this  earthly  ma- 
chine, has  discovered  to  him  an  ex- 
tent of  land,  as  you  will  observe,  so 
vast,  that  according  to  the  good  re- 
gions and  degrees  of  latitude  by  alti- 
tude, it  appears  and  shows  itself  to 
be  larger  than  Europe,  Africa,  and  a 
part  of  Asia :  ergo  miindus  novut : 
and  this  is  without  what  the  Span- 
iards have  these  many  years  found  in 
the  west ;  for  it  is  hardly  a  year 
since  Fernando  Magellanes,  having 
discovered  an  immense  country,  re- 
turned in  one  ship  of  five  with  which 
ho  went  out,  bringing  back  cloves 
that  arc  much  better  than  common  ; 
and  of  his  other  ships  in  five  years 
no  news  has  been  hoard.     Thev  are 


verso  la  parte  di  Calicut,  ma  an- 
dando  verso  coro  e  settcntrionc 
nmnino  t.enendo,  che  ancora  *  Tolo- 
meo  cd  Aristotilo  ed  altri  cosmografi 
descrivano  verso  tali  climati  non  tro- 
varsi  terra,  di  trovarvenc  a  ogni 
modo;  c  cosi  gli  ha  Dio  conccsso, 
come  distintamcnic  describe  per  una 
sua  lettera  a  qucsta  S.  M. ;  della 
({ualc  in  questa  ne  o  una  copia.  E 
per  mancargli  Ic  vettovaglie,  dopo 
niolti  mesi  giunto  navigando,  assegna 
cascrgli  stato  forza  tornarc  da  quel- 
lo  in  questo  emisperio,  e  in  settc  mesi 
suto  in  viaggio  mostrare  grandissimo 
ed  occclerato  cammino,  aver  futto 
cosa  miranda  e  maasima  a  clii  intendo 
la  niarinora  del  mondo.  Della  quale 
al  cominciaincnto  di  dctto  suo  viag- 
gio si  fecc  male  inditio.f  c  moiti  pen- 
sorno  chc  non  pii^  nii  dc  lui  n6  del 
vasccllo  si  avcsse  nuova,  ma  chc  si 
dovcssc  perdere  da  quella  banda  del- 
la  Norvegia  per  il  grande  diaccio  chc 
i>  per  quello  oceauo  settcntrionale; 
ma  come  disso  quel  More,  lo  Die 
grande,  per  darci  ogni  giorno  pii 
notizie  di  sua  infinita  possanza  e 
moslrarci  di  quanto  sia  admirabile 
questa  mundialc  machina,  gli  ha  dis- 
coperto  una  latitudine  di  terra,  come 
intcnderete,  di  tanta  giandezza  clic, 
secondo  le  buone  ragioni  cgradi,per 
latitudine  (ct)  altczza,  assegna  emos- 
tra  pill  grande  che  I'Europa,  Africa  c 
parte  di  Asia :  ergo  mundu$  novui : 
e  questo  senza  lo  che  |  hanno  disco- 
perto  in  piu  anni  gli  Span!  per  I'occi- 
dcnte,  che  apprna  6  un  anno  tomu 
Fcrrando  M;.^^aghiana,  quale  disco- 
perse  grande  paese  con  una  nave  me- 
no  delle  cinque  ^  a  discoprire.  Donde 

*  Ancorchc. 

t  L'  cdiz.  romana  lia  indino,  m\\  crc- 
dinmo  per  crrore  di  stanipa. 

X  tjiicllo  die  (iVw/a  eume  supra). 

$  Forsf  venue  qui  onifsso  He  o  sim- 
ile; e  BL'inbra  Hccenarsi  al  iiatifnigio  di 
una  di  quelle  rinr(iie  nnvi. 


29 


supposed  to  b<t  liKxt.     Wliiit  our  cap- 
tain brought,  he  docs  not  mention  in 
hia  k'ttor,  except  u  young  man   of 
those  countries   made  cuptirc ;   but 
it  is  believed  that  he  has  brought  n 
specimen  of  gold,  in  that  region  of  no 
value,  of  drugs  and  other  aromatic 
li(|uors,  to   confer  with  many  mer- 
chants hero,  after  having  been  in  the 
presence  of  iiis  Most  Serene  Hiijcsty, 
where  ho  should  be  at  this  hour ;  and 
from  there  to  come    here  soon,  for 
ho  is  much  desired  for  his  conversa- 
tion, the  more  bccnuse  he  will  see 
his  Majesty,  our  Sire,  who  is  expect- 
ed  to   arrive   ttitliin   three   or  four 
days  ;  nnd  we  hope  thiit  his  Majesty 
wilt  once  more  send  him  half  a  dozen 
good   vessels   to   muko   the   royage 
again.      And  if  our  Frnnoisco  C'aiii 
shnll  have  returni'd  from  Cairo,  be 
assured   he   will   adventure    himself 
with  him  on  said  voyage,  and  1   be- 
lieve tlipy  know  each  other  at  Cairo, 
where  ho  has  been  ninny  years,  ns 
well  as  in  Egypt  and  Soria,  and  nearly 
throughout  the  known  world  j    and 
from  here,  on  account  of  his  merit, 
ho    is    esteemed    another   Amerigo 
Vespucci,  another  Fernando  Megal- 
lanes,  nnd  even  more ;  and  we  hope 
that    by     providing    himself    with 
other  good  ships  and  vessels  well 
commanded  ai.J  victualled  as  requi- 
site,   he   will  iind    some  profitable 
tralFic  and  business  ;  and  he  will  do, 
our  Lord  God  sending  him  life,  honor 
to  our  country  by  acquiring  immor- 
tal  fame   and  memory.     And  Alda- 
retto  Hrunelleschi,   who   went  with 
him,  and  unfortunately  turned  back, 
unwilling     to    follow    him   farther, 
when  he  there  hears  of  it  will  not  be 
well  pleased.    Nothing  else  now  oc- 
curs to  mo  ;  since  by  others  I  have 
advised  you  of  what  is  necessary. 
I  commend  myself  to  you  continunl- 


adduHso  gnrofani  molto  pifi  eccellenti 
dclli  solit! ;  c  le  altre  sue  navo  in  5 
anni  moi  nuova  ci  u  trapclata.     Sti- 
mansi   perse.     Quello*    die   qnesto 
nostro  capitnno  abbia  condotto  non 
dice   per   qucsta  sua  lettcrn,   salvo 
uno  uomo  giovanctto  prcso  di  quel- 
li  pncsi ;  ina  stimansi  che  nbbia  por- 
tato  mostra  di  oro,  piochi  da  quelle 
bando  non  lo  stimano,  o  di  droghe 
0    dl    altri    liquori    aromatic!,   per 
confcrirc   qua    con    niolti     mcrca- 
tanti  di  poi  che  sarik  stato  alia  pre- 
Bcnza  della  Sercnissima  Maestik.     K  a 
qticsta  ora  doverri  csservi,  e  di  qua 
trasferirsi  in  breve,  perchd  6  molto 
desinto,  per  ragionare  scco;    tanto 
piii  che  trover Jk  qui  la  Maesti^  del  Re 
nostro  sire,  che  fra  tre  o  qunttro  gi- 
orni  vi  si  nttcnde  :  e  speriamo  che  S. 
M.  lo  rimetta  di  mezza  dozzina  di 
buoni  va.scelli,  e  che  tornerit  al  viag- 
gio.     E  se  Francesco  Carli  nostri  si 
fofiso  tornato  dal  Cairo,  ndvisatc  che 
alia  Ventura  vorrik  nndare  scco  a  dct- 
to  viaggio,  c  credo  si  conoijchino  al 
Cairo  dove  6  stato  pii\  anni ;  e  non 
solo  in  Egitto  ed  Soria,  mn  quasi  per 
tutto  il  cognito  mondo ;  e  di  qua  me- 
diante  sua  virtii  is  stimato    un  nltro 
Amerigo  Vespucci,  un  nltro  Fcrrando 
&Iagaghiana,  e  dcvantnggio  ;   e  spe- 
riamo che  rimontandosi  dcllc  altre  bu- 
one  navi  c  vascclli  ben  conditi  o  vet- 
tovagliali  come  si  richicdc,  abbia  ad 
iscoprirc  quulcho  profittoso  traflBco  c 
fatto;    e    fari,   prcstandogli   nostro 
Signoro  Dio  vita,   onore  alia  nostra 
patriadancquistarne  immortalc  fama 
0  mcmoria.    E  Alderotto  Drunelles- 
chi  cho  pnrti  con  lui,  e  por  fortuna 
tornando  iudictro  non  volse  pii  se- 
guire,  come  di  costd  lo  intcndc,  sard 


*  Nella  romnna  si  leggo :  "  stimansi 
per  86  quello  ec."  ;  niu  ci  sembra  che 
il  sunso  glustitlohi  nbbnstanza  la  nostra 
eorrczionc. 


30 


ly,  prnyinjr  you  to  mention  nic  to  our 
fi'iciiu^,  not  forgetting  Pierfraneisoo 
Dagngliiano,*  who  being  a  studious 
poison  (loos  not  idle  much  time,  and 
to  him  recommend  mc ;  also  to 
Rustichi,  wlio  will  not  lie  dis- 
pleased (if  he  should  take  delight  as 
formerly)  in  hearing  of  matters  con- 
cerning cosmogrnphy.  May  Ood 
guard  yon  from  all  evil. 
Your  son, 

Fernando  CAni.t, 

in  Lyons. 

I  *  Perhaps  Uagliano. 


nmlcontento.  Ne  altro  per  ora  mi 
occorre,  perchis  per  altro  vi  ho  avvi- 
Fato  il  bisogno.  A  voi  di  contiiuio 
mi  raci'omando,  pregandovi  no  facci- 
ale  parte  ngli  amici  nostrl,  non  di- 
menticando  Picrfranccsco  Dagaghi- 
ano,*  clie  per  ossere  persona  perita, 
tengo  clie  nc  prenderi  graiido  passa- 
tempo  ;  ed  a  lul  mi  raccomanderctc. 
Simile  al  Rustichi,  al  quale  non  dis- 
piacer^BC  si  diletta,  come  suole,  iutcn- 
dcre  cose  di  cosmografia.  Che  Dio 
tutti  di  male  vi  guardi. 
Vo^tro  figluolo  • 

Fernando  Carli  • 
in  Liono. 


*  Forge,  da  Gagliano. 

This  is  a  straiiKO  letter  to  be  written  at  the  date  and 
place  it  claims  ;  strange,  not  for  any  facts  it  may  contain, 
but  for  the  absence  at  such  a  time  of  all  allusion  to  any 
of  the  stirring  incidents  that  were  passing  around  Lyons, 
in  the  great  struggle  of  the  League  with  the  Emperor- 
King.  Carli  speaks  of  Hugo  Moncada  ;  but  says  nothing 
of  a  naval  engagement,  that  had  occurred  four  days  be- 
fore, in  which  the  Spanish  general  was  met  by  Doria  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Var,  lost  three  gallies  by  sinking,  and 
was  driven  from  the  coasts  of  France.  The  news,  in  its 
transmission  to  the  capital,  should  have  reached  Lyons, 
only  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  the  scene  of  action. 
Eleven  days  before,  the  Bonne  reine  expired  at  Chftteau 
de  Blois,  from  which  the  writer  was  but  three  hundred 
miles  distant,  on  the  direct  road  to  Florence  ;  and  yet 
no  allusion  is  made  to  an  occurrence  of  so  deep  regret 
to  the  French  people  as  the  decease  of  Claude  dc  France. 
No  longer  than  thirteen  days  before,  an  army  with 
Francis  at  its  head  was  marching  to  the  assistance  of 
the  Provencal  from  Tours,  distant  only  three  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  from  Lyons  ;  but  the  subject  is  not  even  re- 
motely hinted  at,  though  that  city  lay  not  much  out  of 


31 


tho  course  tliithor.  The  stupidity  of  this  letter  nearly 
rccomnieiuls  it  for  good  liiitli  ;  as  to  the  other,  attributed 
to  Vcrrazzano,  whatever  may  have  heen  his  ability  as  a 
navigator,  or  his  merit  as  a  discoverer,  that  document  fur- 
nishes no  evidences  of  either. 


